Height is often associated with attractiveness & prestige. So it’s natural that people aspire to add a few more inches to their height. Do you know that 80% of your height depends on genetic factors that are not under our control but 20% of it depends on environmental factors that are under your control? The pituitary gland in our body secretes human growth hormone (HGH) which is responsible for muscle & bone growth. Let’s understand how we can stimulate our HGH & push our height.
- Diet
Giving proper fuel to your body improves your growth. Make sure to have a balanced meal. The most important nutrients required for growth are Protein& Calcium. For Protein include these foods in your diet- Egg white, chicken breast, homemade paneer, fish, pulses, tofu, soya bean. All the dairy products & green leafy vegetables are great sources of calcium. To absorb the calcium you need to have vitamin D …so make sure to spend some time in the sun daily. Include zinc & iron also in your diet.
2. Sleep
Our body grows when we are sleeping. Growing children& teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep. It’s best to sleep on your back without the pillow. So try to have a sound sleep.
3. Exercise
It stimulates the nerve endings which are associated with the pituitary gland, which is responsible for HGH secretion. The best exercise time increases height are: Cycling, Skipping, sprinting, jumping exercises, and aerobics. Stretching exercises help to elongate your spine to full length which can increase your height. Some of the stretching exercises are Suryanamaskar, cobra stretching, Toe touching or just hanging over the rod. Sports such as swimming & basketball also helps to stretch.
4. Posture
This is absolutely important. A slouched posture not only makes you look unimpressive but also results in a deformed spine. Always sit or stand in an upright position.
5. Things to avoid
Avoid things such as alcohol, steroids, drugs, junk & processed food as they act as growth inhibitors & result in stunted growth.